Peak District family keeps it local from farm to plate

A family of butchers are keeping their produce local from farm to plate by opening a new restaurant in the heart of a market town.

The Armstrong family, who own New Close Farm Shop, in Granby Road, Bakewell, have teamed up with top Peak District chef Carl Riley to open Riley’s wine bar and restaurant, in the former Le Mistral premises in Bridge Street, Bakewell.

The butchers are already renowned in Bakewell for selling quality meat in their shop supplied by their own farm, in Over Haddon.

“We rear the animals and we have our names on it from start to finish really,” Ed Armstrong, a third generation butcher who works in the shop with his brother Tom, said.

The family business was started by Ed’s grandfather in Sheffield.

Now his parents, Jim and Gill Armstrong run the family farm, supplying meat to the shop.

Ed explained: “We have diversified from a retail butchers into a bit more catering and we thought why don’t we get a chef involved.”

Carl was previously head chef at the Peak Edge Hotel, at Stonedge.

He also worked at The Chequers Inn, at Froggatt.

Carl is now head chef at the new restaurant, which is named after him.